Flexible packaging materials are printed on flexographic printing presses. Main activity of Varga-Flexo Ltd. is focusing on producing this kind of machines. In order to meet a wide range of customer requirements we produce latest technology, compact 8-colour machines with central impression cylinder. Main features of our flexo printing presses are high quality prints, reliable operation, fast reel change and retooling, cost effective operation, fast ROI, easy handling and approach and machine operator-friendly covers. The electric system is developed by ourselves by applying the latest technology. PLC control, servo drive and colour touch-screen terminals are implemented into each of our machines. Online remote monitoring system with free Skype phone is an accessory to the machines enabling free and immediate remote support for the machine operators in case there is any need for help or service and software updates can also be done directly from our Budapest headquarters. The customized softwares are designed based on the requirements of the customers. Even in basic configuration, the mechines are equipped with all supplementary accessories that high quality and economical flexographic printing requires.

Flexo printing unit

8 colors8-color robust cast iron framework with 8 printing decks
The massive cast iron framework ensures that vibration is minimized and as a closed unit it guarantees stability and protection for the 8 inbuilt flexo printing decks. In addition robust spacers join the two sides.

Central impressionThe central impression cylinder is the prerequisite for top quality printing.
Double-walled, tempered, 1800 mm diamteter stainless cylinder with 0,005 mm accuracy ensures that the material will not stretch (deform) during the printing process. The cylinder turns steadily thatnks to the self-setting bearing with cylindrical roller. The bearing doesn`t require maintenance. The tempering unit is part of the basic configuration.

Gearless servoGearless and servo driven printing form and anilox sleeves.
The inbuilt air cylinders of the form and anilox sleeves are servo driven, thus any print length can be set without the 5 or 10mm limit. The girth of the plate mounted onto the form sleeve is saved in the system and the servo inverters automatically set into the needed position due to a high-accuracy feedback. There is no more resonancy caused by older machines` cog wheels as a result faults on the print due to vibration reduce.

Sleeve systemSpeed change system of the anilox and form sleeves.
Sleeves in variety are pulled over the inbuilt air-cylinder from the operator side of the printing deck after quick unfolding of the bearing houses. Thus, changeover time radically decreases, facilitated by two sleeve storage carriages also, which reduce the risk of damage and enables safe storage of form- and anilox sleeves. The carriages are included in basic configuration. The total print length range is achieved most economically by an adapter sleeve. Covers that protect anilox sleeves while changeover and sleeve holder, with minimal space requirement, for formsleeves`safe storage are optional.

CNC deckPLC controlled, servo driven positioning of the printing decks and of the length register.
Each printing deck is positioned by 4 servo engines moving precision screws and carriages. Accuracy of the positioning is 0,001 mm, with zero backlash. Machine operators set the printing decks and the servo driven cross- and 360° length registers on two portable and two inbuilt, coloured touch screen terminals. Setting data is saved by the formulation program ensuring that regular work settings are saved.

Vibration dampingVibration damping system in each printing deck.
By reducing resonancy, caused by the gap on the form sleeve due to the the plate`s length not achieving the total form sleeve girth, faults on the print caused by resonancy and vibration are abolished. Thus, all printing units are equipped with a vibration damper system.

Doctor blade chamber and ink applicationThe blade chamber is one of the most important units of the ink application technology. It is an accurately processed aluminium cast with Teflon surface. We fixed blades on the top and on the bottom of the cast and standard size wadding sponge on the sides. The blade chamber equipped in this way is pressed parallel against the anilox sleeve with adjustable pneumatics resulting in a closed chamber. The ink tubes are attached to the backside of the chamber with quick connectors and the ink is circulated into the chamber through an explosion proof pump from the ink vessels on two carriages. The blade pressed against the anilox sleeve ensures that the unnecessary amount of ink is removed, thus the quantity of the applied ink can be controlled by the size of the basins of the anilox cylinders. In order to increase or decrease the quantity of the ink the anilox sleeve needs to be changed to another one. Metal particles in the ink recirculating to the stainless ink vessel is filtered by magnets. During designing this unit the ease of cleansing, the light weight and the fast and simple fixing were considered as the most important factors. Specially designed chamber holder carriage is a basic equipment of the machine. It enables storage and assembly of doctor blade chambers and cutting the blades into the necessary size. Stainless anilox sleeves and doctor blade chamber cleaning carriages are optionally supplied.

Automatic Print SettingAutomatic print setting within 20 m.
The automatic print setting system is a software solution that sets thrust, cross and length- registers in all 8 printing decks within 20 m at the same time. As a result, the machine operators only need to refine the settings to achive the perfect print. As precision settings in any system require human accuracy, the machine operators contribution will always be essential. With this system amount of waste, setup reels and changeover time is reduced. The system is included in basic configuration.

Print Inspection
Our greatest development is a print quality monitoring system, designed and built in-house, which is capable of total print quality inspection and
adjustments during actual printing cycle. The demand is constantly growing for total monitoring and documentation of the entire printing process during high
quality flexible package printing. A new development of Varga-Flexo is offering a solution for this demand.

Speed

Mechanic speed or highest printing speed is 300 m/min even during 8-colour, quality printing. In some cases, however, material specification requires lower speed. According to customer feedback 100-150000 m print can be done daily within 24h with 5-10 changeovers. For special request 450 m/min maximum speed is achievable.

Width

A main feature of the flexo printing press is the width of printing. According to customer feedback, 80% of printing requires less than 800 mm width. Thus our standard machine provides a maximum of 1000 mm print width with 1100 mm material width. For special request the printing width can be between 500-1200 mm.

Print repeat

The minimum print repeat is a very important factor as when multiple production printing - because of reducing number of prints- cost of plates multiplies, which is not always accepted by the customer. That is the reason why we decided to set the print length between 300-900 mm reducing the expense of plates.

Video Web Inspection

With the help of a print control system we can check the print under running. A digital camera shoots still images of the print and displays the pictures on a fix and a rotable 19” LCD flatscreen. The optics and the camera is moved by inbuilt motors even with automatic scanning. A print checking table with lights facilitates checking the printing material`s quality and other devices and equipment can be stored in it. The print checking table is included in the standard price.

Drying

The fast drying of the ink is ensured by a hot air drying system in the drying bridge and among the printing decks. The air starts from diffuser ventilators, goes through electronic heating patrons and after drying the surface of the printed material it is exhausted by vacuum ventilators. The temperature, as most of the other automatic setups of the draing bridge and among the printing decks, is controlled via the coloured central terminal. The quantity of the air can be controlled between the printing decks with valves. The machines are available with heat exchanger on demand.

Winding

The purpose of the winding system is unwinding and rewinding the material. Each winding unit is controlled with detached motors and top-quality servo inverters with inbuilt pulling power dynamometers, which keep stable pulling power with minimal energy need within 5 Newton independently from reel diameter and mechanic speed. The requested pulling power is set on a coloured terminal. The winding units are capable of two-way winding and the material is kept stable by expanding shafts. In front of the rewinding unit and after the unwinding unit edge control units are found. The edge control is equipped with ultrasonic sensors ensuring even and lateral guidance of the material. Pneumatic controlled pressing cylinders on the rewinding unit facilitate ensuring that there is no air left in the reel. The pressing cylinders can be set on the sides. After the raw material leaves the drying unit it is guided along a cooling roll to guarantee proper temperature for rewinding. In basic configuration the machine is equipped with one unwinding and one rewinding unit for 800 mm maximum reel diameter. For special request we equip the machine with double un-and rewinding units for even 1000 mm maximum reel diameter, and also with automatic reel change system and blade or rotary knife slitting unit with edge exhaust and banana roll.

Accessories

To meet all customer needs we also supply defect detection, barcode monitoring, automatic colour monitoring, turn bar system for backside printing, viscosity control, automatic wash up for the printing system, corona treatment and any option for special request e.g. backside printing in two rounds (8+8 colours in full width).